Incidence of opioid-induced constipation in the pediatric intensive care unit: A descriptive cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Opioid-induced constipation (OIC) is a well-known phenomenon, although there is limited literature evaluating the incidence of OIC in children admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). The primary aim of this study was to determine the incidence of OIC in the PICU and to determine if it is associated with a higher rate of morbidities or prolonged length of stay (LOS). METHODS: We conducted a single-center retrospective chart review from July 1, 2014, to June 30, 2015, in our PICU. We included all patients aged ≤18 years with a PICU stay of ≥96 h who received opioids during their admission. Data were collected on the frequency of bowel movements and characteristics of opioid administration. Demographic and clinical data were obtained from Virtual Pediatric Systems, LLC. RESULTS: Of the 94 patients who met the study criteria, 39.4% developed constipation. These patients tended to be older (P = 0.06) and were noted to weigh more (P = 0.03). There was no significant difference in the total or median daily doses, duration of opioid treatment, or mode of administration. Constipation rates did not differ by the severity of illness. There was a higher incidence of constipation in the patients who were admitted for neurological issues or after trauma or abdominal surgery (P = 0.002). Patients with constipation had a longer LOS than patients without constipation, but the difference was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that opioid use is not the sole risk factor for constipation in the PICU setting.

Nutrition Screening in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit: Evaluation of an Electronic Medical Record-Based Tool.

Hospitalized, critically ill children are at increased risk of developing malnutrition. While several pediatric nutrition screening tools exist, none have been validated in the pediatric intensive care units (PICU). The Children's Wisconsin Nutrition Screening Tool (CWNST) is a unique nutrition screening tool that includes the Pediatric Nutrition Screening Tool (PNST) and predictive elements from the electronic medical record and was found to be more sensitive than the PNST in acute care units. The aim of this study was to assess the performance of the tool in detecting possible malnutrition in critically ill children. The data analysis, including the results of the current nutrition screening, diagnosis, and nutrition status was performed on all patients admitted to PICUs at Children's Wisconsin in 2019. All 250 patients with ≥1 nutrition assessment by a dietitian were included. The screening elements that were predictive of malnutrition included parenteral nutrition, positive PNST, and BMI-for-age/weight-for-length z-score. The current screen had a sensitivity of 0.985, specificity of 0.06, positive predictive value (PPV) of 0.249, and negative predictive value of 0.929 compared to the PNST alone which had a sensitivity of 0.1, specificity of 0.981, PPV of 0.658, and NPV of 0.749. However, of the 250 included patients, 97.2% (243) had a positive nutrition screen. The CWNST can be easily applied through EMRs and predicts the nutrition risk in PICU patients but needs further improvement to improve specificity.

Intermittent versus continuous enteral nutrition in critically ill children: A pre-planned secondary analysis of an international prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Intermittent enteral nutrition (EN) may have physiologic benefits over continuous feeding in critical illness. We aimed to compare nutrition and infection outcomes in critically ill children receiving intermittent or continuous EN. METHODS: International, multi-center prospective observational study of mechanically ventilated children, 1 month to 18 years of age, receiving EN. Percent energy or protein adequacy (energy or protein delivered/prescribed × 100) and acquired infection rates were compared between intermittent and continuous EN groups using adjusted-multivariable and 4:1 propensity-score matched (PSM) analyses. Sensitivity analyses were performed after excluding patients who crossed over between intermittent and continuous EN. RESULTS: 1375 eligible patients from 66 PICUs were included. Patients receiving continuous EN (N = 1093) had a higher prevalence of respiratory illness and obesity, and lower prevalence of neurologic illness and underweight status on admission, compared to those on intermittent EN (N = 282). Percent energy or protein adequacy, proportion of patients who achieved 60% of energy or protein adequacy in the first 7 days of admission, and rates of acquired infection were not different between the 2 groups in adjusted-multivariable and propensity score matching analyses (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Intermittent versus continuous EN strategy is not associated with differences in energy or protein adequacy, or acquired infections, in mechanically ventilated, critically ill children. Until further evidence is available, an individualized feeding strategy rather than a universal approach may be appropriate.

Bolus gastric feeds improve nutrition delivery to mechanically ventilated pediatric medical patients: Results of the COntinuous vs BOlus multicenter trial.

BACKGROUND: Comparison of bolus gastric feeding (BGF) vs continuous gastric feeding (CGF) with respect to timing and delivery of energy and protein in mechanically ventilated (MV) pediatric patients has not been investigated. We hypothesized that bolus delivery would shorten time to goal nutrition and increase the percentage of goal feeds delivered. METHODS: Multicenter, prospective, randomized comparative effectiveness trial conducted in seven pediatric intensive care units (PICUs). Eligibility criteria included patients aged 1 month to 12 years who were intubated within 24 h of PICU admission, with expected duration of ventilation at least 48 h, and who were eligible to begin enteral nutrition within 48 h. Exclusion criteria included patients with acute or chronic gastrointestinal pathology or acute surgery. RESULTS: We enrolled 158 MV children between October 2015 and April 2018; 147 patients were included in the analysis (BGF = 72, CGF = 75). Children in the BGF group were slightly older than those in the CGF; otherwise, the two groups had similar demographic characteristics. There was no difference in the percentage of patients in each group who achieved goal feeds. Time to goal feeds was shorter in the BGF group (hazard ratio 1.5 [CI 1.02-2.33]; P = 0.0387). Median percentage of target kilocalories (median kcal 0.78 vs 0.59; P ≤ 0.0001) and median percentage of protein delivered (median protein 0.77 vs 0.59; P ≤ 0.0001) was higher for BGF patients. There was no difference in serial oxygen saturation index between groups. CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrated shorter time to achieve goal nutrition via BGF compared with CGF in MV pediatric patients. This resulted in increased delivery of target energy and nutrition. Further study is needed in other PICU populations.

Nutrition practices and outcomes in patients with pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome (PARDS) remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. Evidence suggests enteral nutrition (EN) may be protective in critically ill children. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study comparing intubated patients with PARDS who received EEN and those who did not. We included patients aged 2 weeks to 18 years who could receive full nutrition enterally prior to their disease and excluded patients with cyanotic heart disease. Disease severity was captured with oxygenation index (OI), oxygen saturation index (OSI), and pediatric logistic organ dysfunction (PELOD-2). EEN was defined as having received ≥25% of the calculated energy goal enterally within the first 48 h of PARDS diagnosis. RESULTS: We included 151 patients. Adjusted for age, OI, and OSI, the EEN group had a lower PICU mortality rate (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.071; 95% CI, 0.009-0.542; P = 0.011), had a higher likelihood of PICU discharge (adjusted risk ratio = 1.79; 95% CI, 1.25-2.55; P = 0.001), and was more likely to have at least one ventilator-free day (aOR = 3.96; 95% CI, 1.28-12.22; P = 0.017). Adjusted for age and PELOD-2, a statistically significant association between the EEN group and lower PICU mortality (P = 0.033), shorter PICU LOS (P < 0.001), and more ventilator-free days (P = 0.037) persisted. CONCLUSION: Our study found that EEN was associated with superior mortality rates, PICU LOS, and ventilator-free days in patients with PARDS.

Early Parenteral Nutrition in Critically Ill Children Not Receiving Early Enteral Nutrition Is Associated With Significantly Higher Mortality.

BACKGROUND: To determine whether early parenteral nutrition (PN) (25% of goal energy within 48 hours of PICU admission) is associated with poorer outcomes in children receiving no enteral nutrition (EN). METHODS: Multicenter retrospective study of patients aged 1 month to 18 years who had a PICU length of stay (PLOS) >96 hours. We obtained weight, sex, pediatric index of mortality 2 score (PIM-2), PLOS, duration of mechanical ventilation (DMV), mortality data, and nutrition intake data. Logistic and mixed model regression analysis were used to compare data. RESULTS: 2069 patients (53.2% male, median age 6.61 years) received no EN in the first 4 days. Children receiving early PN were more likely to die than those who did not when adjusted for PIM-2, propensity score, and center (odds ratio = 2.10 [1.41-3.13], median [IQR]; P = 0.0003). The unadjusted PLOS (9.48 [5.94-18.19], and unadjusted DMV (6.73 [3.48-13.98]) for patients receiving early PN were both significantly longer than those who did not (6.75 [4.95-11.65]; P < 0.0001 and 4.9 [1.88-10.19]; P = 0.009, respectively). When adjusted for PIM-2, center, percentage of energy from protein, and age, the PLOS and DMV for those receiving early PN did not differ from those who did not (P = 0.14 and P = 0.76, respectively). CONCLUSION: In children with PLOS >96 hours receiving no EN for 4 days, early PN is strongly associated with higher mortality but not with differences in PLOS or DMV.

Early Enteral Nutrition Is Associated With Significantly Lower Hospital Charges in Critically Ill Children.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown that early enteral nutrition (EEN) is associated with lower mortality in critically ill children. The purpose of this study was to determine the association between EEN (provision of 25% of goal calories enterally over the first 48 hours) and pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) and hospital charges in critically ill children. METHODS: We conducted a supplementary study to our previous multicenter retrospective study of nutrition and outcomes in critically ill patients who had a PICU length of stay (LOS) ≥96 hours for the years 2007-2008. From 2 centers, we obtained additional data for all charges incurred during the PICU and hospital stay, respectively, from administrative data sets at each institution. RESULTS: We obtained data for 859 patients who met the inclusion criteria (615 from the first center and 244 from the second center). In the combined data from both centers, total (P = .0006, adjusted for Pediatric Index of Mortality-2 [PIM-2] and center) and daily hospital charges (P < .001, adjusted for PIM-2 and center) were significantly lower in patients who met the EEN goal than in patients who did not. Hospital LOS did not differ between patients who met the EEN goal and patients who did not. A significant interaction between EEN and centers prevented any comparison of PICU charges, daily PICU charges, and PICU LOS between those patients who met the EEN goal and those who did not. CONCLUSION: In critically ill children who stay in the PICU >96 hours, EEN is associated with significantly lower hospital charges.

Pediatric Specialty Transport Teams Are Not Associated With Decreased 48-Hour Pediatric Intensive Care Unit Mortality: A Propensity Analysis of the VPS, LLC Database.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine if pediatric specialty pediatric team (SPT) interfacility-transported children from community emergency departments to a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) have improved 48-hour mortality. METHODS: This is a multicenter, historic cohort analysis of the VPS, LLC PICU clinical database (VPS, LLC, Los Angeles, CA) for all PICU directly admitted pediatric patients ≤ 18 years of age from January 1, 2007, to March 31, 2009. Categoric variables were analyzed by the chi-square and Mann-Whitney tests for non-normally distributed continuous variables. The propensity score was determined by multiple logistic regression analysis. Nearest neighbor matching developed emergency medical services SPT pairs by similar propensity score. Multiple regression analyses of the matched pairs determined the association of SPT with 48-hour PICU mortality. P values < .05 were considered significant. RESULTS: This study included 3,795 PICU discharges from 12 hospitals. SPT-transported children were more severely ill, younger in age, and more likely to have a respiratory diagnosis (P < .0001). Unadjusted 48-hour PICU mortality was statistically significantly higher for SPT transports (2.04% vs. 0.070%, P = .0028). Multiple regressions adjusted for propensity score, illness severity, and PICU site showed no significant difference in 48-hour PICU mortality. CONCLUSION: No significant difference in adjusted 48-hour PICU mortality for children transported by transport team type was discovered.

Safety of Enteral Feedings in Critically Ill Children Receiving Vasoactive Agents.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this retrospective study was to evaluate the safety of enteral feeding in children receiving vasoactive agents (VAs). METHODS: Patients aged 1 month to 18 years with a pediatric intensive care unit stay for ≥96 hours during 2007 and 2008 who received any VA (epinephrine, norepinephrine, vasopressin, milrinone, dopamine, and dobutamine) were included and categorized into fed and nonfed groups. Their demographics, clinical characteristics, type and dose of VA, and presence of gastrointestinal (GI) outcomes were obtained. GI outcomes were compared between the groups by the χ(2) test, Mann-Whitney test, and logistic regression. RESULTS: In total, 339 patients were included. Of these, 55% were in the fed group and 45% in the nonfed group. Patients in the fed group were younger (median age, 1.05 vs 2.75 years, respectively; P < .001) and tended to have a lower Pediatric Index of Mortality 2 (PIM2) risk of mortality (ROM) than those in the nonfed group (median, 3.33% vs 3.52%, respectively; P = .106). Mortality was lower in the fed group than the nonfed group (6.9% vs 15.9%, respectively; odds ratio [OR], 0.39; 0.18-0.84; P < .01, 95% CI), while GI outcomes did not differ between the groups. The vasoactive-inotropic score (VIS) did not differ between the groups except on day 1 (P = .017). The ROM did not differ between the groups after adjusting for age, PIM2 ROM, and VIS on day 1 (OR, 0.58; 0.26-1.28; P = .18, 95% CI). CONCLUSIONS: Enteral feeding in patients receiving VAs is associated with no difference in GI outcomes and a tendency towards lower mortality. Prospective studies are required to confirm the safety of enteral feedings in patients receiving VAs.

Early enteral nutrition is associated with lower mortality in critically ill children.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to examine the association of early enteral nutrition (EEN), defined as the provision of 25% of goal calories enterally over the first 48 hours of admission, with mortality and morbidity in critically ill children. METHODS: We conducted a multicenter retrospective study of patients in 12 pediatric intensive care units (PICUs). We included patients aged 1 month to 18 years who had a PICU length of stay (LOS) of ≥96 hours for the years 2007-2008. We obtained patients' demographics, weight, Pediatric Index of Mortality-2 (PIM2) score, LOS, duration of mechanical ventilation (MV), mortality data, and nutrition intake data in the first 4 days after admission. RESULTS: We identified 5105 patients (53.8% male; median age, 2.4 years). Mortality was 5.3%. EEN was achieved by 27.1% of patients. Children receiving EEN were less likely to die than those who did not (odds ratio, 0.51; 95% confidence interval, 0.34-0.76; P = .001 [adjusted for propensity score, PIM2 score, age, and center]). Comparing those who received EEN to those who did not, adjusted for PIM2 score, age, and center, LOS did not differ (P = .59), and the duration of MV for those receiving EEN tended to be longer than for those who did not, but the difference was not significant (P = .058). CONCLUSIONS: EEN is strongly associated with lower mortality in patients with PICU LOS of ≥96 hours. LOS and duration of MV are slightly longer in patients receiving EEN, but the differences are not statistically significant.

The need for evidence based nutritional guidelines for pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients: acute and long-term following treatment.

High survival rates for pediatric leukemia are very promising. With regard to treatment, children tend to be able to withstand a more aggressive treatment protocol than adults. The differences in both treatment modalities and outcomes between children and adults make extrapolation of adult studies to children inappropriate. The higher success is associated with a significant number of children experiencing nutrition-related adverse effects both in the short and long term after treatment. Specific treatment protocols have been shown to deplete nutrient levels, in particular antioxidants. The optimal nutrition prescription during, after and long-term following cancer treatment is unknown. This review article will provide an overview of the known physiologic processes of pediatric leukemia and how they contribute to the complexity of performing nutritional assessment in this population. It will also discuss known nutrition-related consequences, both short and long term in pediatric leukemia patients. Since specific antioxidants have been shown to be depleted as a consequence of therapy, the role of oxidative stress in the pediatric leukemia population will also be explored. More pediatric studies are needed to develop evidence based therapeutic interventions for nutritional complications of leukemia and its treatment.

Under pressure: preventing pressure ulcers in critically ill infants.

PURPOSE: To determine whether a pressure ulcer prevention bundle was associated with a significant reduction in pressure ulcer development in infants in the pediatric intensive care unit. DESIGN AND METHODS: Quasi-experimental design involving 399 infants 0 to 3 months of age at a large tertiary care medical center. RESULTS: The implementation of the care bundle was associated with a significant drop in pressure ulcer incidence from 18.8 to 6.8%. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Pressure ulcers can be prevented in the most vulnerable patients with the consistent implementation of evidence-based interventions and system supports to assist nurses with the change in practice.

Registered dietitians making a difference: early medical record documentation of estimated energy requirement in critically ill children is associated with higher daily energy intake and with use of the enteral route.

BACKGROUND: Establishing a caloric requirement or energy target is a recommended part of any nutrition care plan. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to describe early documentation of a caloric requirement in critically ill children, and to determine if this would have any effect on daily energy intake and route of nutrition. DESIGN: We used a descriptive chart review of a subgroup of patients included as part of a larger, retrospective multicenter study. Variables of interest included nutritional intake information, as well as presence/absence and amount of a documented caloric requirement within 48 hours of admission. PARTICIPANTS: Five of the original 12 study centers collected the required supplementary data. Enrolled patients were those who were admitted to our pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) from January 1, 2007, through December 31, 2008; were between ages 30 days and 18 years; and had a length of stay in the PICU ≥ 96 hours. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Energy intake among patients with and without a documented caloric requirement was analyzed using Mann-Whitney U tests. The difference of receiving enteral nutrition among patients with and without a caloric requirement was analyzed using a χ(2) test. RESULTS: We studied 1,349 patients, of whom 644 (47.7%) had a caloric requirement documented (95.6% of caloric requirements were entered by a registered dietitian) in the medical record; these patients had higher total daily energy intake and were more likely to be fed enterally during the first 4 days of PICU admission than those without a documented caloric requirement (P<0.001 for all comparisons). CONCLUSIONS: Less than half of critically ill children studied had a caloric requirement documented in the medical record; when a caloric requirement was documented in the medical record of a critically ill child, a registered dietitian had likely made the note. Having a caloric requirement documented in the medical record is associated with a higher energy intake and the use of the enteral route.

Obesity is not associated with increased mortality and morbidity in critically ill children.

AIM: To evaluate the effect of obesity on mortality, length of mechanical ventilation, and length of stay (LOS) in critically ill children. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study in 2- to 18-year-olds, admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) at the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin from 2005-2009 who required invasive ventilation. Weight z score was used to categorize patients as normal (-1.89 to 1.04), overweight (1.05-1.65), obese (1.66-2.33), and severely obese (>2.33). Underweight patients were excluded. Age, gender, admission type, Pediatric Index of Mortality 2 score, operative status, trauma status, admission Pediatric Outcome Performance Category, and diagnosis categories were also collected. The outcomes were mortality, total ventilator days, and PICU LOS. Univariate analysis was used to compare the groups, and multivariate logistic regression was used to compare mortality. Total ventilation days and LOS were modeled with linear regression. RESULTS: In total, 1030 patients were included in the study, with 753 normal weight, 137 overweight, 76 obese, and 64 severely obese. The risk-adjusted mortality rates in overweight (odds ratio [OR], 1.06; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.62-1.82), obese (OR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.31-1.48), and severely obese patients (OR, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.45-2.34) were not significantly different compared with the normal-weight group. Total ventilation days (P = .9628) and PICU LOS (P = .8431) were not significantly different between the groups after adjusting for risk factors. CONCLUSION: Critically ill overweight, obese, and severely obese children who require invasive mechanical ventilation have similar mortality, length of stay in the PICU, and ventilator days as compared with normal-weight children.

Can utilization review criteria be used to determine appropriate pediatric patient placement for a critical care bed expansion?

The rising trend in critical care utilization has led to the expansion of critical care beds in many hospitals across the country. Traditional models of estimating bed capacity requirements use administrative data such as inpatient admissions, length of stay, and case mix index. The use of such data has been limited in quantifying the complexities of demand variables in critical care bed needs. Mathematical modeling is another method for estimating numbers of beds required. It captures the dynamic changes in the management of critically ill patients that occur when units become full. Depending on data analysis methods used, bed need underestimation or overestimation can occur. In our study, we used utilization review criteria to understand changes in level of care (LOC) during the course of patients' stays and to validate critical care bed expansion needs. Using LOC criteria, we studied the proportion of our intermediate care patients in an acute care unit that met acute, intermediate, or critical care criteria. We also evaluated whether these proportions were related to specific factors such as census ratios, staffing proportions, or severity of illness. Using LOC criteria was helpful in validating our critical care bed projection, which was previously derived from mathematical modeling. The findings also validated our assessment for additional specialty acute care beds.

Protecting fragile skin: nursing interventions to decrease development of pressure ulcers in pediatric intensive care.

BACKGROUND: The reported incidence of pressure ulcers in critically ill infants and children is 18% to 27%. Patients at risk for pressure ulcers and nursing interventions to prevent the development of the ulcers have not been established. OBJECTIVES: To determine the incidence of pressure ulcers in critically ill children, to compare the characteristics of patients in whom pressure ulcers do and do not develop, and to identify prevention strategies associated with less frequent development of pressure ulcers. METHODS: Characteristics of 5346 patients in pediatric intensive care units in whom pressure ulcers did and did not develop were compared. Multiple logistic regression was used to determine which prevention strategies were associated with less frequent development of pressure ulcers. RESULTS: The overall incidence of pressure ulcers was 10.2%. Patients at greatest risk were those who were more than 2 years old; who were in the intensive care unit 4 days or longer; or who required mechanical ventilation, noninvasive ventilation, or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Strategies associated with less frequent development of pressure ulcers included use of specialty beds, egg crates, foam overlays, gel pads, dry-weave diapers, urinary catheters, disposable under-pads, body lotion, nutrition consultations, change in body position every 2 to 4 hours, blanket rolls, foam wedges, pillows, and draw sheets. CONCLUSIONS: The overall incidence of pressure ulcers among critically ill infants and children is greater than 10%. Nursing interventions play an important role in the prevention of pressure ulcers.

Breastfeeding and genetic factors in the etiology of inflammatory bowel disease in children.

Inflammatory bowel disease is a chronic, debilitating disorder of the gastrointestinal tract. The etiology of inflammatory bowel disease has not been elucidated, but is thought to be multifactorial with both environ-mental and genetic influences. A large body of research has been conducted to elucidate the etiology of inflammatory bowel disease. This article reviews this literature, emphasizing the studies of breastfeeding and the studies of genetic factors, particularly NOD2 polymorphisms.

Skin integrity in critically ill and injured children.

BACKGROUND: Skin breakdown increases the cost of care, may lead to increased morbidity, and has negative psychosocial implications because of secondary scarring or alopecia. The scope of this problem has not been widely studied in critically ill and injured children. OBJECTIVES: To determine the incidence of skin breakdown in critically ill and injured children and to compare the characteristics of patients who experience skin breakdown with those of patients who do not. METHODS: Admission and follow-up data for a 15-week period were collected retrospectively on children admitted to a large pediatric intensive care unit. The incidence of skin breakdown was calculated. The risk for skin breakdown associated with potential risk factors (relative risk) and 95% confidence intervals were determined. RESULTS: The sample consisted of 401 distinct stays in the intensive care unit for 373 patients. During the 401 stays, skin breakdown occurred in 34 (8.5%), redness in 25 (6.2%), and breakdown and redness in 13 (3.2%); the overall incidence was 18%. Patients who had skin breakdown or redness were younger, had longer stays, and were more likely to have respiratory illnesses and require mechanical ventilatory support than those who did not. Patients who had skin breakdown or redness had a higher risk of mortality than those who did not. CONCLUSIONS: Risk factors for skin breakdown were similar to those previously reported. Compared with children of other ages, children 2 years or younger are at higher risk for skin breakdown.